The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatus that facilitate the installation of a communications cable. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus that facilitate the installation of an optical fiber cable.
Improper installation of a communications cable may result in attenuation of a signal being conveyed in the cable, which is commonly known as “signal loss”. With respect to optical fiber cables, the signal loss may result from the incomplete transmission of an optical signal through the optical fiber cable. There are different reasons for losses that may occur during the transmission of optical signals through an optical fiber cable.
For example, when an optical fiber cable is bent, the propagation conditions in the optical fiber cable may become altered such that light rays that would propagate in a straight optical fiber are lost in the cladding of the optical fiber. In general, bending loss may be the result of macrobending or microbending. Macrobending is the bending of the cable in a tight radius. Microbending refers to bending a small portion of the cable. Microbending may be caused by pinching or squeezing the cable and can result from mishandling or improper installation of the cable.
Different optical fiber cables have different specifications regarding the degree to which the cable can be bent without affecting performance of the cable or resulting in signal loss. When the bend curvature defines an angle that is too sharp for the optical signal to be reflected back into the core of the particular optical fiber, some of the optical signal may escape through the fiber cladding causing optical signal loss.
Cable performance and the reduction of signal loss may be facilitated through proper cable handing and installation. Thus, a continuing need exists for improved apparatuses and methods that facilitate installation of communications cables.